Second Chances
by Jessie6
Summary: Legolas is back in Mirkwood. But will he come along with his father?
1. You don't care about me

Authors Note: There could be a few grammar mistakes because I'm German and not perfect in English. I hope   
you enjoy!!!  
  
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine, they all belong to Tolkien.  
  
  
You don't care about me!  
  
~Legolas~  
  
"Why shouldn't I see him?" I asked furiously.  
"Because he's a dwarf!"  
"Great! That's a good reason!" I said sarcasticly.  
"Yes, it is." My father was very angry now. "And now stop talking about him. I don't want to hear it. I don't care!"  
"I know." I replied coldly. "You don't want to hear anything I'm saying.  
He glared at me. "What do you mean."  
"The only thing you truly care about is your whine. I was never important to you, never since mother died."  
That was true. I remembered him when my mother was still alive. He'd been so warm and gentle then. But when   
she got killed he had changed. Now he was drunk every day and even hit me when he was very angry.  
"How dare you, Legolas? You know that isn't true."  
"Isn't it? You don't want me to meet my friends. You don't talk to me like any other father to his son. I think you   
don't want me around. Maybe I should leave Mirkwood!"  
With that I left my father alone with his only true companion: The whine.  
  
To be continued  
(if you want me to) 


	2. I didn't want to hurt you

Authors Note: Sorry I used 'whine' and not 'wine'. This time I'll make it better.  
  
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine, they belong to J. R. R. Tolkien.  
  
I didn't want to hurt you.  
  
~Thranduil~  
  
When I woke up the next morning the first thing I wanted to do is taking my bottle.  
Just like every morning.  
But now, that I was sober, I remembered my son's face when we argued the day before.  
He had seemed so disappointed.  
I wanted to drink my wine, once again forget all my sorrows.  
In my mind I could hear Legolas' voice: "The only thing you care about is your wine!"  
I sighed.  
He didn't deserve a father like me.   
The alcohol had destroyed the relationship to my son.   
I had even beaten him!  
How could he ever forgive me?  
When my beloved wife had died I had turned to the wine to forget my pain.  
But I had also forgotton my son.  
And that was the biggest mistake in my life.  
I had to apologize!  
Even if I had no right to ask for his forgiveness.  
Slowly I stood up.  
It was such a strange feeling.  
Yes, it hurt, but I was the king of Mirkwood!  
Wasn't I able to live without beeing drunk every day?  
Wasn't I able to be there for my own son?  
I knew it would kill me if he would really leave Mirkwood forever.  
I needed him.  
  
To be continued  
  
Please review!!!! 


	3. Where are you?

Authors Note: Thanks for the good reviews. I hope you like the next chapter, too.  
  
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine, they are Tolkien's!  
  
Where are you?  
  
~Thranduil~  
  
As I walked into my son's room he wasn't there.  
It seemed cold and empty to me.  
He had gone already!  
I had to find him!  
He couldn't be too far, he hadn't had enough time.  
"My Lord." The voice of a servant broke the silence.  
"What is it?"  
"Prince Legolas rode away last evening."  
I was shocked. "Last evening?"  
"Yes, my Lord."  
I must have truly hurt him.  
"Did he say where he's going to?"  
"I'm sorry, my Lord. He didn't say anything."  
"Make my horse ready. I have to follow him."  
I only hoped it wasn't too late.  
For the first time I did something for my son's sake. Now he needed me.  
  
To be continued  
(Please review!) 


	4. Leaving home

Authors Note: This and the last chapter are a little short, but I hope you still like it. Enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: The characters all belong to Tolkien.  
  
Leaving Home  
  
~Legolas~  
  
I had to leave Mirkwood!  
I couldn't stand to see how my father was slowly killing himself with the alcohol.  
I loved Mirkwood so much!  
It was hard to think that I would never walk through these trees again.  
And even if he had hurt me many times I truly loved my father. He once was warm and gentle, loving and caring.  
Caring!  
That was long ago.  
It was hard to leave him like that.  
I felt like I betrayed him.  
Tears were running down my face.  
"Forgive me, father." I whispered as I galloped out of the forest I once called my home.  
  
To be continued 


	5. I'll be there for you

Authors Note: Sorry that it took me so long to write the next chapter. Anyway, here it is.  
  
Disclaimer: The characters all belong to Tolkien.  
  
I'll be there for you  
  
~Gimli~  
  
I couldn't believe what I was seeing.   
There he stood, beautiful as ever.   
"Legolas!" I shouted, unable to hide my joy.  
He smiled a little. "Hello, my friend."  
"What are you doing here?" I asked, a little confused.   
The elf bowed his head. "I left Mirkwood." He said silently.  
For a moment I didn't know what to say.   
During our long journey he had been talking very often about his beloved home. He had been missing it so  
much.  
Why should he leave it now?  
"You did what?" I asked finally.   
"I left Mirkwood and I can't return." The sadness in his voice was obvious.  
He quickly turned away, but I had already seen the tears shimmering in his eyes.  
Gently I touched his shoulder. "Why." I asked. "Do you want to tell me about it?"  
Slowly he sat down on the grass and tried desperatly to fight back the tears.  
I waited patiently for I saw he needed a few moments.  
Finally I spoke again: "You don't have to hide your tears. Just tell me what happened."  
He nodded and told me everything.  
I couldn't help but feel anger for Thranduil although Legolas tried to explain his behavior.   
How could a father do that to his son?  
After he fell silent I spoke again. "Legolas, you really don't have to feel guilty. What could you have done to   
help him?"  
"I don't know."  
"You see." I stood up. "I have to go home now."  
He bowed his head. "Well, thank you for listening to me."  
"Come with me." I said simply.  
The elf stared at me in surprise. "Do you really mean that?"  
"Sure."  
"And your father? What will he think about an elf under his roof?"  
"I'm sure he will agree."  
"I'd be very grateful if he did."  
I touched his shoulder again. "Don't worry."  
  
"So you are Legolas. My son told me so much about you."  
My father was much friendlier than both of us could have imagined.  
"You want to stay here for some time?"  
"If you would allow me to."  
"Of course I do. Gimli's friends are my friends as well. Stay as long as you want."  
"Thank you."  
"You are welcome."  
  
To be continued  
(Please review) 


	6. The Stranger

Authors Note: Thanks for the good reviews! I hope you also like this chapter.  
  
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine, they all belong to Tolkien.  
  
The Stranger  
  
~Gimli~  
  
Six weeks later I walked over to the river to get some water.   
As I arrived there I saw a dark haired elf who sat who sat in the grass and seemed to be lost in thoughts.  
He looked miserable, as if he was worried about something ... or someone.   
Surely he hadn't eaten or slept enough for a couple of weeks.  
He seemed to be tired and sad.   
His horse was weary as well.  
Slowly I walked over to him.  
"Can I help you?" I asked.  
He jumped slightly and then looked up to me.  
His eyes full of pain.  
"Maybe." He said finally. "I'm looking for a dwarf. His name is Gimli, Gloin's son."  
I had no idea what I had to do with that stranger.  
I was absolutely sure that I hadn't seen him before.  
But nontheless I answered: "That's me."  
His eyes widened. "Finally I found you." He whispered and stood up. "Maybe you can help me to find my son."  
Now I could imagine who it was, but to be sure I asked him: "Who are you and who is your son."  
"I'm King Thranduil from Mirkwood and I'm looking for my son Legolas."  
To his surprise I laughed bitterly. "You are looking for your son?"  
"Yes." He seemed to be confused.  
"And what did you think when you drove him away?"  
He sighed. "Nothing. I was drunk." He whispered and bowed his head in shame.  
Thranduil looked so miserable that I couldn't help but feel pity.   
But I didn't show him.  
He had had no right to hurt his son so much and it wasn't easy to forgive him.  
"And now you're sober, I guess."  
"Yes, as Legolas left I finally realized how cruel I had been."   
"Great." I said sarcasticly.  
"Do you know where he is?"  
I nodded. "Yes, he came to us about six weeks ago."  
His eyes filled with relieve. "May I see him?"   
"I don't know if he wants to see you."  
"Please. I've done him wrong and I have to apologize." He sounded honest. "Even if he can't forgive me."  
I knew it would be hard for Legolas, but I also knew how much he loved his father.  
He needed to talk to him.  
Slowly I turned and began to walk away.   
"Follow me." I said finally.   
  
To be continued 


	7. The Meeting

Authors Note: Thanks for the good reviews. Enjoy the next chapter!  
  
Disclaimer: The characters all belong to Tolkien.  
  
The Meeting  
  
~Legolas~  
  
Now I had been living with the dwarfs for about six weeks.  
Of course I was glad that Gimli's father didn't send me away but those dark halls made me miss Mirkwood even  
more.   
And I couldn't help but worry about my father.  
Sometimes I felt like I had been selfish to leave him alone like that.  
I didn't hear Gloin coming from behind until he sat down next to me.  
"Excuse me. I didn't hear you."  
The dwarf smiled a little. "That was obviously. What troubles you?"  
"It's nothing."  
"Don't lie to me. You're missing your home, don't you?"  
I bowed my head. "Yes, very much."  
"Maybe you should talk to your father."  
"Good idea. But he doesn't listen to anyone when he's drunk. That's why I left."  
"I see." Slowly he stood up. "Well, of course you can stay here as long as you want to."  
"Thank you very much."   
"That's ok."  
I sighed as he slowly walked away.  
Yes, surely he had been right.  
I should talk to my father - but if he was drunk it wouldn't make sense.  
"Legolas." Gloin had returned once more.  
"Yes?"  
"Could you please look for my son? He wanted to get some water but he's away for nearly an hour now."  
"Of course."  
"Thank you."  
As I walked through the woods a familiar feeling overcame me.  
'Maybe there's some snow in Mirkwood already.' I thought for myself.  
Mirkwood was so beautiful in winter.   
Suddenly I heared Gimli's voice: "Follow me."  
Who was he talking to?  
As I walked towards the voice I saw who was with my friend.  
It was my father!  
  
To be continued 


	8. Forgive me

Authors Note: Thank you for the good review. And yes, I know that Thranduil didn't drink the war away (like   
"The evil woman" said in her review) but it's only a story not exactly like the books.  
  
Disclaimer: The characters all belong to Tolkien.  
  
Forgive me  
  
~Thranduil~  
  
I was so glad that the dwarf wanted to show me where I could find my son.  
For about seven weeks I had been searching for Legolas. It had been so hard to realize what I had done to him.  
No more wine, I had promised myself.  
For my son's sake, he deserved a good father.  
As we walked through the woods Legolas suddenly stood before us.  
He didn't say anything, just stared at me.  
Finally I somehow found the strenght to talk. "Legolas, I'm so glad I found you."  
"Fine. And what do you want of me?"  
His voice sounded so cold that I shivered.  
"Please, may I talk to you?"  
He shrugged.  
"I'll leave you alone then." Gimli said and left.  
"You seem to be so ... so sober." Legolas muttered.  
"I am."  
He raised an eyebrow. "That's something new."   
"You have every right to hate me. I deserve it. But please, dearest, listen to me."  
"Say what you want to say and then leave me alone."  
It hurt to hear such words from my own son but I couldn't give up now that I found him. "Legolas, I'm so sorry."  
"Oh, you are sorry?" He didn't believe me.  
"Yes, son. Please try to believe me."  
He smiled sadly. "Maybe you are truly honest." Slowly he sat down next to a tree.  
"So you believe me?" I knelt before him.  
"Yes." Now some tears were running down his face. "Until you're drunk again."  
It hurt me more than I could say to see how distressed he was.   
Gently I took his hands in mine. "Legolas, I've done you terribly wrong." With that I also broke into tears.   
After a few moments I felt his hands gently wiping them away.  
As I looked at him I could see something in his eyes I hadn't dared to hope for anymore: The love of a son to his  
father.  
"Legolas, I'll never drink again, I promise."  
He looked deep into my eyes as if he wanted to find the truth in there.   
"I love you, Legolas." I whispered.  
He nodded. "I love you, too."   
And then he suddenly embraced me and for a long moment I held him tight.  
"Will you come home?" I asked as we finally parted.  
"Sure." And then he gave me the most beautiful smile I could imagine.  
  
To be continued 


	9. Misunderstanding

Authors Note: I hope you enjoy this one as much as the others!  
  
Disclaimer: The characters belong to Tolkien. Only Ehir is mine.  
  
Misunderstanding  
  
~Thranduil~  
  
He was at home again!  
I had my son back and was more than happy about that.  
Sometimes we were just talking for hours or riding through Mirkwood the whole day long.  
I could see that he enjoyed it as much as I did.  
One day Ehir came to visit me, I really didn't want to meet him.  
We had been friends when I had still drunk alcohol, and he probably came to drink some whine with me.  
Nontheless I talked to him.  
"Hello, Thranduil. Nice to see you again."   
I only nodded.   
He seemed to be a little confused but went on talking: "Well, where's the whine?"  
I rolled my eyes.   
Of course I had been right.   
Why should he come to me if not because of the whine?  
"There's no whine in this house anymore." I answered.   
That was true. I didn't want to hurt my son even more, he had truly suffered enough.  
But Ehir didn't believe me. He laughed loudly. "That's a pretty good joke. But enough of this now. Where's the   
wine?"  
I only shook my head.   
Had I really been like that, too?  
Shame filled my heart.  
"I'm waiting for an answer." He was obviously becoming impatient.  
"I'm sorry, Ehir. What I just said is true. I will never drink again."  
Now he seemed to become angry. "Why should you do that? It's nonsense."  
"No it's not. You don't know what you are talking about." I only wanted him to go. He was a part of my past which   
I wanted to forget as soon as possible.  
"Just tell me why!"  
"Because my son is much more important to me than whine, or you, or anything in this world!"  
"You do this because of your son? Oh, forget him, he's not worthy it!"  
With that I slapped him hard.   
First he looked at me in shock, then he suddenly took a bottle from under his cot and poured the whole wine   
over me.  
Then he turned and walked away.  
Slowly I dried myself and as I finished Legolas walked in, a beautiful smile on his face. "Father, I ..."  
He suddenly shut up, the smile faded.   
"What is it, son?"  
"You smell like ... like wine again."  
God, I hadn't thought of the smell.  
"Legolas ..."  
He raised his right hand. "No, please. Don't try to explain. There's no explanation."  
With that he left the room.  
  
To be continued 


	10. New Beginning

Authors Note: Here's the last chapter. Thank you for all the good reviews, I hope you also like this one. I   
corrected the mistakes in the last chapters, too.  
  
Disclaimer: Only Ehir is mine, the other characters belong to Tolkien.  
  
New Beginning  
  
~Legolas~  
  
I couldn't believe it!   
He had promised me not to touch the damned wine again and now he had done it again.  
I was so dissapointed.  
Slowly I walked to the stables and sat down next to Anor.   
"Hey boy." I said silently as I felt his warm breath on my neck.  
Gently I stroke his beautiful head.   
Unbidden tears ran down my cheeks as I sobbed quietly.  
"He's done it again, Anor." That was all I could manage to say.   
The horse layed down next to me and snorted.   
I smiled sadly through the tears. "Sometimes I think that you are the only one who understands me. I think we  
will leave again, my friend. He will not even realize that I'm away. He will be happy with his wine." Again a quiet   
sob escaped my lips.   
As I finally stood up Anor did the same.   
It seemed to me that he knew, that he had understood, that we had to leave.   
I climbed on his back and fastly rode away, hoping that he wouldn't follow me again.  
  
Two hours later I met a man who rode into the same direction as I did.   
"Hello, young friend."  
'Oh no!' I thought to myself. 'Another one who is drunk. That's what I need right now.'  
The stranger looked at me carefully.   
"Aren't you Legolas Greanleaf?"  
I frowned a little. "How do you know me?"   
"You are Thranduil's son." He laughed. "So he gave up the alcohol for you."  
"I thought so, too." I answered bitterly. "But it was all a lie."  
"I don't think so. About four hours ago I wanted to drink a little wine with him, but he refused." Again he laughed.  
"That's why I poured it all over him."  
I stopped my horse and looked at him in shock. "You did what?"  
"I poured my wine over him for I was pretty annoyed."  
That was why he had smelt like that.   
I couldn't believe it, he had not been lying to me.   
As fast as I could I turned Anor and rode back home.  
  
As I arrived it was dark already.  
But my father stood outside and seemed to be very worried.  
"Father." I said quietly.  
He quickly turned around and faced me.  
"Legolas." Was all he whispered before he embraced me.  
For a few moments he held me tight.   
"Legolas, my son, I was so worried about you. Really, I didn't drink ..."  
He wanted to say more but I interrupted him. "I know. I met the man who poured the wine over you."   
I bowed my head.  
"Legolas, what is it?"  
I sighed. "I'm so sorry that I didn't trust you, that I didn't want to listen to you."  
He gently caressed my cheek. "Don't think about it anymore, dearest. I'm so glad that you came back to me."  
Again he held me tight.  
I knew he would never hurt me again.  
  
The End   
(Please review once more) 


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